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Veteran Cornerback Labeled Commanders' Biggest X-Factor

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonah Morgan | Last updated Jun 23, 2025 12:39 AM ET

The Washington Commanders took a lot of pride in their defense this past season, especially their ability to effectively defend the pass.

And the team's secondary unit got even better with a big trade this past season.

Washington made a trade with the New Orleans Saints to acquire veteran cornerback Marshon Lattimore at the deadline this past season. But he was only able to play two games with the team due to a hamstring injury.

Now that he is healthy, he will be looking to make his impact felt in the Commanders' defensive unit. Pro Football Focus is naming every NFL team's biggest X-factor going into the 2025 season, and they think that player for Washington is Lattimore.

The Commanders are in prime position to contend right away with how good their roster is, as well as the fact that they also traded for a veteran on the other side of the ball in star receiver Deebo Samuel.

X-Factors for every team in the NFC East pic.twitter.com/ryOpJJDrnH
— PFF (@PFF) June 15, 2025

As for the other players who could be big contributors in the team's secondary, the team has a few young guys who could step up. Mike Sainristil had a very impressive rookie season, and could improve even more in his second year. The team also selected Ole Miss corner Trey Amos with the 61st overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, who could have a big role fairly quickly.

The NFC East is very competitive with the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys, and the improved New York Giants. So Lattimore and the rest of the team's defense will have to help lead the team to the postseason.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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